Kale & Pomegranate Salad

Recipe: Crunchy Kale salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Errr. So it's been a while. I'll recap real quick. Started a new job. My sister moved to LA. My dad came to visit for a week. My friend had a baby. We hosted potluck thanksgiving. I went home for Christmas. Celebrated the new year over Sushi. 

Now you're caught up and i'm nearing the end of a new years cleanse. 28 days with no caffeine, alcohol, dairy, gluten, or added sugars. If you're interested in the details you can find them here. One of my favorite new recipes that I've tried on the cleanse is this kale salad. I've been making up a big batch and taking it to work for lunches. Its crunchy and filling. The fruit brightens everything up, and the nuts add a savory note.

Kale & Pomegranate Salad

serves 4

inspired by: greenkitchenstories.com

1 large head of Kale

Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 package pomegranate seeds (5.3 oz)

2 oranges peeled and sectioned.

Rinse Kale and Brussels sprouts and shred finely. (I would highly recommend doing this in a food processor if you have the option) Toast the nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until they are fragrant.  Combine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and oranges and kale mixture and toss with your favorite vinaigrette. Here are some ideas if you'd like to make your own. I used olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. This can be served immediately, but will keep for up to a week in the fridge. 

The cleanse is almost over. It's gone really well and it feels good to start the new year in a healthy way. Don't worry I'm sure there will be lots of yummy baked treats that I'll blog about, but i'm hoping some of the healthy eating from this month sticks with me in 2013.

BBQ Pulled Seitan with Maple Slaw

Recipe Review: Saucy and Tangy and full of flavor and protein, I didn't miss the meat!

This past weekend my good friend from high school visited San Diego to compete in a Triathlon. She chose to do the SheRox triathlon and raise money for ovarian cancer research in honor of her mother who is a survivor. Erica's mom and I went to the triathlon to cheer her on- and she did awesome! The Tri was an all women's race, and there were participants from ages 9 to 70. It was incredibly inspirational to see all the women out there racing for this cause, and all the people there supporting them.  Its actually not too late to donate! If you are interested in making a donation or want to know more check out Erica's fundraising page here.

Once the race was over she stayed with me for a few days and we got some serious eating of yummy things done. Erica is a vegetarian and opts for vegan whenever possible. I was stressed about finding vegan options for her, but turns out some of my favorite restaurants had some really great vegan options. We had breakfast (and mimosas) at The Naked Cafe, some awesome eggplant enchiladas at Ranchos Cocina, and the most incredible Ethiopian food from Muzita Abyssinian Bistro that we ate entirely with our hands.

For a long time (7 years!) I didn't eat any meat, but I ate fish so I had never learned to cook things like tofu, or veggie proteins. (I was also in high school/college so mom or the dining hall was the one doing the cooking anyways.) I fell off the wagon at the end of my spring semester freshmen year. I was sick all the time and started getting nosebleeds. Probably because I was eating a steady diet of grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches, beer, and not much else. I never went back to being veggie, but I'm totally open to meatless meals, and prefer fish over meat.

We cooked at home one night and made BBQ pulled seitan sandwiches with maple broccoli slaw. I had never tried a meat substitute other than tofu (which I don't like the texture of) so I was a little dubious. The seitan was packed in water, and once drained looked a lot like chicken. Plain and uncooked it tasted like bread, but with a more meat like texture. Also the seitan was more dense than tofu, which I liked. The meal was easy to make and really tasty. We bought most of the ingredients at Trader Joe's, with a quick side trip to Henry's Sprouts for the Seitan.

BBQ Pulled Seitan

serves 4

Seitan

2 packages chicken style seitan
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red bell pepper

1 small orange bell pepper

1 medium onion, diced

18oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

4 onion buns

Slaw

12 oz package of your choice:

Broccoli or Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup
1.4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Prepare the slaw first so it has some time for the flavors to soak in. In a medium bowl combine all Slaw ingredients. Toss well and refrigerate. 

Dice bell peppers, and onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat 10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Drain seitan and chop coarsely into strips. Add seitan and barbecue sauce to pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the sauce has absorbed.

Toast buns and top with seitan and slaw. Serve immediately.

printable recipe